The Dryden Cardinals will take on the Mayville Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Dryden has three straight victories, Mayville has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Dryden had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the nine-run drubbing they dealt Akron-Fairgrove on Monday. The Cardinals were the clear victors by a 13-4 margin over the Vikings.
Rowan Handley
Rowan Handley made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Dryden is undefeated when Handley allows two or fewer hits, but 1-4 otherwise. Handley was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.
In other batting news, Santi Perales was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Dryden's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 0-4 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Tj Mersino, who went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Dryden always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .586. They are 3-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Mayville lost 8-2 to Memphis on Wednesday.
Ian Estrine was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Wager, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run.
The win got Dryden back to even at 4-4. As for Mayville, their loss dropped their record down to 4-6.
Mayville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Dryden hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .366. It's a different story for Mayville, though, as they've only averaged .240. Will they be able to contain Dryden's hitters?
Dryden suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to Mayville when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Cardinals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
